Water Quality Insurance Syndicate (WQIS)

The Water Quality Insurance Syndicate is an American company that provides water pollution liability insurance for marine vessels. The Water Quality Insurance Syndicate (WQIS) provides coverage for marine cargo, vessels, tugboats, barges, fishing boats, ferries, yachts and more. Policies can cover any number of entities that might incur water pollution liability, including vessel owners and operators, cargo owners, shipyards, and marina owners and operators.

The Water Quality Insurance Syndicate is known for its experience and specialization in serving the marine industry. Insurance provided by the Water Quality Insurance Syndicate helps protect an entity that causes marine pollution from the significant expenses associated with cleanup, damage to third-party property, third party loss of revenue, regulatory fines and penalties and other threats. 15 marine insurance companies, including Navigators Insurance Company, New York Marine & General Insurance Company and North American Specialty Insurance Company, back WQIS. WQIS is also closely affiliated with the Marine Pollution Response Group, which provides oil-spill cleanup.

WQIS is known as a leader in the marine pollution insurance industry. For more than 45 years, they've represented many of the world’s largest insurance providers in underwriting, claims, and spill management and response activities. In the past five decades, WQIS has been involved in more vessel pollution events than any other marine pollution provider. WQIS maintains everyday 24/7 availability of teams to assist in the event of a loss and throughout the entire spill response. The team comprises an extensive network of trusted professionals that provide support from the moment a spill occurs until the spill is cleaned up. Their services are geared towards mitigating damages to the environment, supporting an efficient response and assisting insureds in quickly returning to operational status.

WQIS provided a number of “firsts,” including having the foresight to cover over 42 federal statutes, providing the first endorsements for Alaska and California, being ahead of the curve by issuing IMO Bunker Convention blue cards, and filing thousands of COFR certificates with the U.S. Coast Guard on behalf of its insureds.

WQIS provides pollution coverage for the following client base:

• Vessel Owners & Operators (including limited criminal penalties)
• Cargo Owners
• Shipyards (Ship Repairers & Ship Builders)
• Yachts & Yacht Dealers
• Mobile Drilling Units
• Public Vessels
• Tow Risks
• Banks
• Marina Owners & Operators
• Non Vessel Owners

WQIS provides the following vessel pollution products:

• Worldwide Vessel Pollution
• Blue Haven Marina Vessel Pollution
• Blue Haven Shipyard Vessel Pollution
• COFR Guaranty
• Bunker Blue Cards
• Non-Vessel Owner/Operator Vessel Pollution
• Cargo Owners Vessel Pollution